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The North Carolina Peace Corps Association (NCPCA) has awarded the 2010 North Carolina Peace Prize to USCRI Raleigh for our work helping refugees build new lives in North Carolina.
 Each year NCPCA recognizes a non-profit organization in the Tarheel state that best promotes peace and cross-cultural understanding and shares the "helping others help themselves" philosophy of the Peace Corps.
"We are deeply honored to receive the North Carolina Peace Prize," said USCRI Raleigh Director Shirley Thoms. "We feel a kinship with NCPCA and many of the Peace Corps' goals mirror our work here in the Triangle."
Thoms explained.
"The Peace Prize recognizes the hard work of USCRI Raleigh's volunteers and staff members who help refugees build new lives in freedom in the Triangle Area," Thoms added, "Without the ongoing support of our network
of volunteers and community supporters who are invested in USCRI Raleigh and refugees, our work would be impossible. We share this award with all of them."
USCRI Raleigh's staff and volunteers help refugees in variety of ways so that they can quickly become self-supporting members of our community. This ranges from helping refugee families settle into their first apartment
by collecting gently used home furnishings, clothing and other necessaties to helping them navigate the transportation system to learning English and finding a job. Moreover, our team helps refugees overcome the past trauma so many
have suffered and feel embraced by their new community.
USCRI Raleigh has helped more than 800 refugees who have fled violence and persecution in places like Burma, Cuba, Somalia, Sudan, Vietnam and other war-torn regions around the world.
 The USCRI Raleigh team works hard to help refugees understand and become comfortable with American culture. But the refugees provide our community with the opportunity to learn about other cultures and to be enriched by
their traditions. It is work that changes the lives of everyone involved with the resettlement process.
This year's Peace Prize ceremony was held at Page-Walker History and Arts Center and USCRI Raleigh received the Peace Prize's hand-thrown Seagrove vase from Stephen Kelly, Diplomat in residence at Duke University and Myron
Fountain, NCPCA President and a cash award of $1,000.
USCRI Raleigh joins past Peace Prize honorees such as The Center for Participatory Change, Source Fource, Nourish Intentational, El Centro Hispano, and Friends of the Glenwood Library.
You can help refugees too. Become a volunteer with USCRI Raleigh. Make a tax-deductible donation.
Help Protect the Human Rights of Earthquake Survivors in Haiti
 The next few weeks will be critical to Haitian survivors -- especially women, children, and the elderly. We must ensure fairness and equality in the distribution of relief and prevent the weak and the frail from becoming
victimized. That's why USCRI is partnering with Haitian-run organizations to ensure that help reaches even the most vulnerable survivors and to promote human rights monitoring. We need you to be an advocate for
those who have lost everything. Please donate today to protect human rights in Haiti.
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See how one refugee family says thank you.
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You can help refugees in our community in a variety of ways:
Be part of our Welcome Home Project and help prepare a refugee family's first home in America. Consider becoming a refugee mentor and help a refugee learn about American culture and life in the Triangle Area.
Provide transportation for refugees to doctor's appointments, English classes, and other essential appointments. Volunteer in our office and provide administrative support.
Whether you have a little or a lot of time to give, your help will mean so much to refugees in our community. Learn more about becoming a volunteer today.
Refugee Healthy Family Workshops are held each Wednesday from 9:15 AM to 1:15 PM at USCRI's Raleigh Office.
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